Daily management by measurement of variations in blood glucose levels is recommended to diabetics. A blood glucose meter has been placed into practical use, in which a measurement portion, such as a test paper impregnated with a reagent that develops a color in response to the amount of glucose in blood, is provided. Blood is applied to the test paper so that the test paper develops a color, and the degree of the color is measured optically and calculated in order to display the blood glucose level (for example, refer to Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3135393 (FIGS. 2 and 8), Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-046834, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,077,328). The test paper is provided on a disposable test piece, and the test piece is mounted on a distal end mounting portion of the blood glucose meter. Further, a blood glucose meter in which an electric chemical sensor is used has also been placed into practical use.
When blood of a diabetic is to be sampled, the skin (for example, a finger, a palm, or the like) is punctured first by a predetermined puncture device, and blood is debouched by a small amount after the puncture. Then, a test piece is mounted on the blood glucose meter and a spotted portion at the distal end of the test piece is brought into contact with a blood drop, whereby the blood is introduced to the test paper by capillary action through a communication path having a very small diameter.
On the other hand, blood glucose meters in recent years are demanded not only for personal use, in which a diabetic uses the blood glucose meter to measure the blood glucose levels daily, but also for hospital use, in which a health care worker carries out measurement with regard to plural patients who are hospitalized in medical facilities.
Incidentally, many diabetics are elderly and sometimes use of fingers or hands in such diabetics is made troublesome due to complications from diabetes. Further, even if able to freely use the fingers or hands, some patients may not be able to handle a blood glucose meter well due to shaking of the fingertips due to psychological factors or the like, if the patient is unaccustomed to operation of the blood glucose meter. In particular, since a blood drop obtained by puncturing is very small, it is not always easy for a diabetic to place the spotted portion of the test piece into contact with the blood drop. Further, if the procedure described above is carried out with trembling hands, sufficient blood may not be impregnated into the test paper, even if the spotted portion comes into contact with the blood drop. In such a case, since a correct measurement result of the blood glucose level is not obtained, puncturing must be carried out again to attempt measurement after the test piece has been exchanged.
According to research carried out by the inventor of the present application, it has been found that there are many patients whose hands are unstable if both arms are left in a free state in the air, thus making it difficult to bring the spotted portion into contact with the blood drop. However, the hands can be stabilized if the patient's wrist or peripheral portions of the wrist are placed on a table.
However, many patients have been found who fail, if their wrists are placed on a table, to suitably set the direction of the blood glucose meter, due to the fact that the degree of freedom in operation of the wrists is suppressed, and ultimately it is difficult to bring the spotted portion into contact with the blood drop. In particular, as seen in FIG. 21, while a blood drop 900 obtained by puncture is positioned in a substantially upward direction on one of the hands (hereinafter referred to as the left hand) so that the blood drop 900 cannot fall off, a blood glucose meter 901 and a test piece 902, which are grasped by the right hand, are directed obliquely upwardly (refer to the arrow in FIG. 21), and therefore it is difficult to bring the spotted portion 903 at the distal end into contact with the blood drop 900.
Further, as seen in FIG. 22, where a spotting operation is carried out in midair, if the blood drop 900 is directed substantially upward, then the blood glucose meter 901 approaches the blood drop 900 from an upward or obliquely upward location. Therefore, the blood drop 900 or the spotted portion 903 of the test piece 902 is placed in a blind spot by the blood glucose meter 901 and the right hand. Such a situation impairs visibility and sometimes makes it less easy to carry out the spotting operation. Since the spotted portion of the test piece is an operation carried out upon measurement of blood glucose levels, good visibility upon operation is demanded. Also, even when the blood glucose meter is placed on a table, visibility still is demanded to enable confirmation of the state of operation.
Further, even with a health care worker who is skilled in operating the blood glucose meter, to bring the spotted portion into contact with the very small blood drop requires attentiveness. In particular, where measurements are carried out for a great number of patients, it is desirable to carry out the measurement process for all individuals as easily and conveniently as possible, and thus it is desirable to secure visibility of the spotted portion.
Further, it is desirable to prevent application of unnecessary external forces to the test piece that is mounted on the blood glucose meter when the blood glucose meter is placed on a table.
Further, when the blood glucose meter is placed on a table, it is desirable for the test piece to be spotted on the blood after the spotted portion has been positioned in advance with respect to proximity of the blood drop.
Further, since multiple patients and a plurality of health care workers (nurses, doctors, and so forth) exist within medical facilities, in a case where the blood glucose meter is intended for hospital use, specifications different from those for personal use are required.
In particular, while some blood glucose meters have a function for storing measurement values of blood glucose levels carried out a plural number of times, since it is supposed that one blood glucose meter is used for measurement of blood glucose levels of multiple patients in a medical facility, there is the necessity to store measured blood glucose levels in a state in which the blood glucose levels are distinguishable for individual patients. Further, for recording and traceability, it is desirable to make it possible to specify an operator who carries out measurement of blood glucose levels at each time of measurement. In order to specify a patient and an operator in the foregoing manner, it is necessary to read identification information of the patient and the operator into the blood glucose meter.
Furthermore, it is desirable for acquisition of such identification information to be carried out quickly and stably without causing discomfort to the patient.
On the other hand, the blood glucose meter disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,077,328 described above also has several problems.
First, since a barcode reader is provided at the distal end, there is a possibility that a laser beam emitted upon scanning may be directed toward the patient and cause the patient to experience discomfort.
Secondly, since the barcode reader and a distal end measurement portion are disposed very near to each other, there is a possibility that a test piece, which is mounted on the distal end measurement portion, may hit against some different body (including a living body) upon reading of the barcode. If such a hit occurs before measurement of the blood glucose level is taken, then there is a possibility that the spotted portion of the test piece may become soiled or broken, resulting in a measurement failure. Further, if such a hit occurs after measurement of the blood glucose level, since blood sticks onto the spotted portion, a different body with which the spotted portion comes into contact may become soiled.
Thirdly, since a monitor is disposed in proximity to the distal end measuring portion, the distal end portion has a considerable size, which impedes balance. Further, since a gripping portion is positioned rearwardly with respect to the monitor, the gripping portion is positioned far from the distal end measuring portion. As a result, the distal end measuring portion is likely to become unstable.